How To Build An Empire
by QuestofDreams
Summary: Vongola have some rather unorthodox traditions. Tsuna is not amused. GuardiansxTsuna. Yes, you read that right.
1. Chapter 1

**Title** – How To Build An Empire  
**Rating** – this chapter PG13; overall NC17 (at which point I may stop posting here where things need to be more censored lol)  
**Pairing** – YamaGoku, guardiansxTsuna... just about all of them  
**Warnings** – craaack, attempts at humor, slash, OOCness, Tsuna uke? XD  
**Comments** – Tsuna (eventually) bottoms for (almost) all of his guardians b/c... well. Tsuna Vongola bicycle cough But I fail at just throwing them into sex without explanation so I had to write all this build up and sort of back-story first lol. If you're looking for deep meaning and intricate plot... you're looking at the wrong fic, lol. **Please do not take this fic too seriously. XD**

**Chapter 1**

In the two years since Tsuna had completed his schooling and taken the full-time position as head of the Vongola family's base in Japan (an occasion he recalled with a reflexive twitch and a panicked glance over his shoulder), he had undergone new levels of training with Reborn and his various cast of substitute tutors. They'd covered subjects ranging from the economy of Italy to Relativity and quantum mechanics—all of which he'd failed spectacularly. Reborn had decided it best to start over, beginning with the basics—a comprehensive history lesson of the Vongola family.

Tsuna had managed to learn a good deal about the family throughout the six years he'd been Reborn's pupil, but even he had thought a structured lesson with weekly sessions was a sound idea. He shouldn't have been surprised when Reborn appeared at the start of their first class in the library, dumped a pile of books and files on his desk, and said, "Test in an hour. Study."

He groaned for what had to have been the thirtieth time in about as many minutes. The miniscule print in the 600-page book he'd selected (the shortest among the tomes Reborn had deposited for him) had begun to blur and resemble Gokudera-kun's opponents after a rocket bomb attack. He weighed the merits of escaping through the open window against the punishment Reborn would deal him when he found him missing.

Clearly, he had some studying to do.

The book had grown useless and he hadn't retained the single sentence he'd been rereading for the better half of the hour so he set it aside. Surely Reborn would narrow down the scope of his first test by focusing on a certain time frame, or on one of the previous bosses. The permanent foot-shaped imprint on the back of his head should have taught him by now that his tutor probably had no intention of making it easy on him... but Tsuna liked to remain optimistic.

He reached for the stack of files at the corner of his desk. Selecting a fairly slim one from the middle, he flipped it open with a twist of his mouth that might have been a pout to the casual observer. The stack of photographs inside immediately piqued his interest. Looking at images was a welcome alternative to squinting at scrawling text.

The woman in the top photo was easily recognizable as the Eighth, being the only female boss in the Vongola family's history. Still, Tsuna only knew her face because the veritable fortress in which he now lived had a gallery where paintings of the previous Vongola bosses and their guardians hung. The mafia in general and the Vongola in particular, Tsuna had soon learned, were steeped in tradition and unspoken rules of etiquette despite their ever evolving use of technology.

He shuffled through the photos, feeling suddenly daunted by all the stoic faces. Given time, would he become like those men, all hard angles and flinty eyes?

He paused, brows knit, as he reached another photo of the Eighth. She was sitting on a leather sofa, legs crossed and a wineglass held lightly in her left hand. Beside her, perched on the arm of the sofa, was one of her guardians—exactly which one, Tsuna couldn't recall. There was the hint of a smile on the Eighth's lips and her right arm was extended, hand resting casually on her guardian's thigh.

Tsuna cocked his head; the pad of his finger pressed absently into the corner of the picture. The simple suggestion of friendship between the two was an anomaly amongst the other images. Of course, the previous bosses had to have possessed similarly strong relationships with their guardians; Tsuna had just never expected to see it so visibly evident, especially with how poised they all appeared in their other photographs.

He set the photo aside and ducked.

Something metallic whizzed past his ear and lodged itself into the wall behind him. He patted his head to make sure he wasn't missing anything significant before whirling in his seat, expression set into an annoyed scowl.

"Is it really necessary to announce your arrival by throwing projectiles at me?"

"It's to ensure you're alert." Reborn hopped up onto the chair opposite his desk, the brim of his hat obscuring his eyes. "By the way, you failed your test."

Tsuna decided getting upset with him would take more energy than he was willing to exert at nine in the morning. Instead, he sighed and said, "How could I have failed a test I haven't even taken yet?"

"I was testing you on your ability to make use of the materials given you. In the last hour, all you've done is stare blankly into a book and look at some pictures. You fail."

Tsuna rubbed a hand through his hair and shrugged. "At least I don't have to do a written exam."

"That'll come later. After the essay."

The urge to repeatedly bang his forehead onto the table was compelling.

"What's in your hand?"

Tsuna paused in the middle of his mental jeremiad to recall he was still holding the photograph of the Eighth and her guardian. He passed it to Reborn, whose lips quirked at the sight of it.

"That one stuck out to me. It's the only one where the Eighth looks...er, kind of happy." He leaned back in his seat, fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. "It's good to know that... even as rigid as the Eighth was, she still found some happiness in her friendships." It reassured him that regardless of whatever future obstacles might face him as a boss, he would still hold his guardians close to him as the best friends a man—mafia boss or otherwise—could ask for.

"They were lovers."

Tsuna choked on his saliva. "W-what?"

Reborn smirked, eyes glinting in that slightly sinister way that made Tsuna want to dive for cover. "Vongola Eighth was lovers with three of her guardians."

Despite his best efforts, Tsuna felt the heat creep up his neck. "_Three_? Is this a joke to try and throw me off?" _Because it's working._

Reborn seemed to regard Tsuna's reaction for several awkward seconds before he jumped to his feet and crossed the room. Tsuna watched warily, legs flexing, prepared to fling himself sideways if Reborn decided to launch any more impromptu attacks on him. Instead of flying books, Reborn disappeared behind a bookshelf. He returned wheeling a reversible chalkboard that Tsuna was certain hadn't been back there before.

Reborn flipped the chalkboard to reveal the other side—a dry erase board—where small sketches had been drawn of the Vongola bosses' heads and their guardians with little red arrows connecting them. Tsuna blinked.

"When did you...?"

"Unlike you, I know how to use my resources." He picked up a long pointer from the front tray and Tsuna couldn't help but picture Reborn trying to spear him with it and calling it a reflexes test.

"Does this mean you're actually going to give me a real history lesson?"

Reborn smiled. "Yes. Vongola Eighth was lovers with three of her guardians."

Tsuna choked again. "_Why are you telling me that again?_"

"Because it would be to your benefit to learn about the relationships between your predecessors and their guardians." He rested the tip of his pointer to a small face that, Tsuna supposed, resembled the First. "When the Vongola First selected his guardians, he chose his lover and subordinate as his rain guardian. Back then, the Vongola family was still in its early stages of acquiring the power it has now. Eventually, the knowledge that they were lovers was discovered and his enemies targeted his rain guardian, nearly killing her numerous times."

"Why didn't they just maintain a platonic relationship then?" It had been a poor decision, Tsuna thought, to put his lover in so dangerous a position, regardless of how qualified she might have been as a guardian.

"Ending their involvement wouldn't have fixed matters. Enemies wouldn't have stopped targeting her. The First decided he'd have to direct his enemies' attention elsewhere so he put up pretenses that he was lovers with all of his guardians."

Tsuna tried to find fault with that line of reasoning, but couldn't seem to work past the sudden white noise filling his thoughts. "But...but they would have known it was a ploy."

"Possibly. I'm not certain about the details since it isn't fully documented, but at some point, the pretense became real. They were able to confuse and mislead their enemies enough to defeat them."

"Wait." Tsuna's brain had finally decided to catch up. "He...they... _all_ of them?"

"Yes, and he retained sexual relationships with at least two guardians after he married—although he retired with his mist guardian in Japan later in life." Reborn moved his pointer to the face of a man labeled 'First Mist Guardian' in green marker.

Tsuna shifted in his chair when Reborn paused expectantly. He had little idea what Reborn expected him to say. Anxious to escape the odd history lesson, he began to rise. "Er...thanks, Reborn, I think I'll just—"

"The Vongola Second decided the First had made a logical choice in selecting lovers among his guardians," Reborn said. Tsuna sighed and slumped back into his chair. "He decided keeping his affairs within the family would be the safest choice so long as their relationships were kept in confidence—also, it strengthened the bonds between the boss and his guardians. Problems only arose with the Third when jealousy became a dividing force among his guardians, resulting in the Fourth's decision to take his love affairs outside of the family."

Tsuna muttered a quiet 'thank goodness,' which Reborn ignored. Unfortunately, his relief was short-lived.

"The Fifth, however, continued the unorthodox tradition, and it has been commonly accepted since that the Vongola boss and his guardians could choose to engage in sexual relationships until the matter of an heir arose."

At this, Tsuna hunched his shoulders and sank so low in his chair that he could just see the tip of Leon's tail beyond the surface of his desk. His face radiated warmth and he wanted nothing more than to dunk his head in a bowl of cold water to keep the embarrassment at bay.

"Of course, it all depends on the boss's personal preferences," Reborn said. "You don't _have_ to adopt the tradition."

Tsuna pushed up in his seat, hands fisting on the tabletop. "W-we're all—well, _most_ of us are just... really good friends."

Reborn shrugged and returned the pointer to its tray. "Everyone assumes you've already taken Gokudera."

Tsuna sputtered and would have protested except he was trying not to swallow his tongue.

Reborn's brows rose at his reaction. "So you haven't then."

Tsuna made a strangled sound before finding his voice long enough to shout, "Don't pretend as though you didn't already know that!"

Reborn wheeled the board back behind the bookshelf, allowing Tsuna a few seconds to recover. Long years with Reborn had given Tsuna enough time to become accustomed to the intrigues and the excessive violence within the mafia—all things which he still felt he wasn't suited for. But being lectured about the sexual practices of the Vongola bosses seemed bizarrely more disquieting than waking up ten years in the future in a coffin.

Reborn placed the photograph of the Eighth and her guardian beside Tsuna's hand before gathering up the books scattered across the desk. "If you need the opinion of your guardians, ask Gokudera. He's been educated in Vongola history and traditions. Or Mukuro—he knows quite a bit about the Vongola as well."

Tsuna could just imagine what a conversation with Mukuro about sex would entail (blatant innuendos, leering, and possibly a remark or two about bodily possessions and phallic weapons). He groaned and buried his face in the fold of his arms until Reborn left. Then he pushed away from his desk and stalked over to the window to let the outside air cool his cheeks.

oOo

Dinner normally consisted of lively conversation and excessive praise for the cook, but Tsuna found himself unable to participate in their nightly ritual. Blame for his distraction, of course, could entirely be placed on Reborn's shoulders. Unfortunately, he was unable to simply disregard the unusual lesson—first, because Reborn always seemed to work towards a greater goal despite his strange methods and Tsuna had yet to determine what that goal was; and second, because he was a twenty year old man whose sex life was sorely lacking and when the topic passed his thoughts, his thoughts _latched on_.

He rubbed his forehead with one hand as his other prodded his antipasto with his chopsticks. Reborn had clearly implied that it would be acceptable for him to have sex with his guardians... but Tsuna's only female guardian was Chrome and he highly doubted she'd be receptive to any inappropriate suggestions—and anyway, Mukuro would have something to say about it and Tsuna would never voluntarily involve himself in _that_ kind of complication.

Chrome was clearly not an option, but he'd never even contemplated the _other_ alternative. How did men even... they didn't have... Realization seemed to hit him like a metaphorical Maximum Cannon.

Tsuna flailed a bit before abruptly dropping his head onto the hard tabletop beside his plate. His mind grew fuzzy as his thoughts retreated to recuperate from the mental shock.

"_Tenth_." Gokudera shot out of his seat and reached over to place a concerned hand on his shoulder.

_Crap_, Tsuna thought. He forgot he'd had an audience to his breakdown and Gokudera had no concept of personal space when he was worried.

"Tsuna, something bothering you?" Yamamoto shifted closer to pat his back, fingers resting against the curve of his spine. "Your face is red. Do you have a fever?"

"Are you ill? Maybe we should get you in bed," Gokudera said.

Tsuna groaned piteously at his choice of words. Gokudera's hand tightened on Tsuna's shoulder. Yamamoto's fingers trailed down his back as he pulled away.

_Oh my god, stop_, Tsuna thought, suddenly claustrophobic. He stood up from the table, forcing both his friends to back away or risk getting knocked aside. Yamamoto was watching him with a curious arch of his brow and Gokudera was looking vaguely wounded. He sighed.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I worried you. I just need some fresh air." He didn't want to run from the room and alarm them further, so he settled on a brisk walk.

Despite what he'd just told them, he headed for his room. It was a comfortable suite, far more lavish than he would have selected for himself but Reborn had insisted it was the boss's quarters and turned a deaf ear to Tsuna's protests (in fact, he'd fallen asleep midway through Tsuna's tirade). A large bed sat in an alcove off to the side and the remaining space was furnished with both a desk for Tsuna's work and a seating area for leisure and guests. Tall bay windows provided him a clear view of the garden and the grounds beyond. He'd spent many an afternoon staring out through the clear glass and remembering when life had been far less complicated.

He collapsed onto the sofa and shoved a pillow behind his head. He stared up the simple chandelier and the crystal facets that refracted the sunlight into glittering patterns against the ceiling. He felt not a little like those strung shards, his life balanced on the precarious scale of the Vongola, every conflict splintering him into unrecognizable shades.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the photograph of the Eighth. He hadn't intended to hold onto it but Reborn had left it behind and Tsuna had yet to locate his tutor to return it.

There was a knock at the door before Gokudera's voice announced his intent and he entered. Tsuna sat up on the sofa, smiling sheepishly at the concern on Gokudera's face.

"Tenth, I... please tell me if something's bothering you." He crossed the short distance to where Tsuna was seated and dropped to his knees beside him.

"Um...it's just something with Reborn from this morning. Really, you shouldn't worry about it." He rubbed the back of his head and tried to smile but Gokudera just leaned back on his heels and frowned.

"But _you're_ worrying about it, which means it's my duty to worry about it as well. As your right-hand man, it would be remiss of me to turn a blind eye to your distress."

It was hard to argue with Gokudera's logic, despite that it was, at times, fairly disorienting. Tsuna acknowledged that possibly he did need a second opinion to confirm that mulling over the morning's lesson was simply cause for needless anxiety. Gokudera might not have been the most rational person but he _was_ honest and he would answer sincerely.

"Well," Tsuna said, before coughing lightly. Gokudera's face lit up as he realized Tsuna would confide in him. He held out the photograph in his hand and Gokudera eagerly accepted it. "Reborn gave me a... um, an unusual lesson this morning on an old Vongola tradition."

Gokudera nodded sagely, urging him to continue without words.

Tsuna could already feel the blush creeping into his cheeks. "It was about how the Vongola First...um, took all his guardians as lovers..." He paused, because Gokudera had stiffened a bit, his face flushing lightly. "Are you, er, familiar with that...tradition?"

Tsuna bit his lip and watched as Gokudera rose from the floor to sit beside him while running a hand through his hair and briefly exposing the smooth lines of his jaw and neck. Tsuna was struck by an odd sense of disappointment when the fall of his hair concealed them again.

"Yes," Gokudera said. "It was mentioned at some point in my lessons when I was younger and I was able to infer the rest. Why was Reborn-san teaching you about the Vongola's sexual practices?"

The easy way in which Gokudera spoke of it helped diffuse some of Tsuna's unease. "I guess that was my fault. I sort of inadvertently asked him to. Er, anyway, I just wanted your opinion on it."

Despite the pink hue of his cheeks, he appeared to genuinely consider the matter. After a moment, he shrugged and said, "Well, I guess I agree that it was a logical solution for the previous bosses. But for you, I suppose it depends on your preferences. I mean, most of the guardians are men and I'm not sure if you have any experience with men. I hate to say it but I think I was lucky my first time was with Yamamoto because he's such a pansy and he took it slow..."

Gokudera had trailed off and Tsuna suspected it was because his mouth was currently hanging open and he wouldn't have been surprised if his eyes had also fallen out of their sockets. But Gokudera only looked startled, not horrified, so they were probably still in place.

"You... Yamamoto... what... _since when_?" Tsuna sputtered. He had the urge to do some shouting, purely for stress relief, but Gokudera was suddenly looking stricken so he slapped a hand over his face and forced himself to breathe.

"_I'm so sorry, Tenth!_ I didn't mean to offend you by being crass!" Gokudera had pulled his knees onto the sofa and flung himself into a low bow, forehead pressed into the cushion. The photo of the Eighth lay forgotten on the floor. "_Please forgive me._"

"Gokudera—" Tsuna had to shout to be heard over the man's stream of apologies. "Gokudera, just... I'm sorry I reacted that way."

His keening slid to a halt. Tsuna's sigh of relief was short-lived as his shoulders were suddenly seized in a strong grip.

"Don't apologize, Tenth! I shouldn't have—"

"No, Gokudera, _stop_." The sudden silence was jarring. Tsuna took a deep breath and swallowed, his gaze riveted to the distraught line of Gokudera's mouth. They were currently pinched, the lines of his face tight with anxiety. Tsuna felt his hand rise without conscious permission to ghost across Gokudera's bottom lip.

His mouth fell open and his face grew slack in surprise. Tsuna couldn't say exactly why he'd done that, except that it'd always been upsetting to see such disquiet in Gokudera's face. He quickly dropped his hand.

"Look, I don't mind that... you know, you two are together, I just... I didn't know. You caught me off guard. That's all." He was acutely aware of how warm Gokudera's hands were against his skin, of the wiry chord of muscles in his exposed forearms, of the way his normally pale cheeks were flushed and it was a pleasing complement to his pale hair.

Tsuna decided he was going to have to murder Reborn later.

"Oh." Gokudera withdrew and scratched his head awkwardly.

"But... but thank you for giving me your opinion."

The silence was awkward until Gokudera smiled apologetically and Tsuna felt a rush of relief that the odd situation hadn't affected their friendship. He would have happily let the matter drop, but his curiosity had been piqued and he wanted very much to ask about how Gokudera and Yamamoto had... Tsuna straightened—he'd been wondering about relationships between men all day and it occurred to him that sitting before him was a choice opportunity to have his questions answered.

"Um, Gokudera. I was wondering..." How did one go about asking such personal questions anyway? "H-how...how do men...? Er." The assumption he'd made at dinner came crashing back with dizzying impact. That kind of answer was better left to be found in a book. What was he thinking, asking Gokudera how he and Yamamoto had sex? He ducked his head, mortified. "Never mind."

Unfortunately, Gokudera caught on quickly. He shifted on the sofa, gaze darting sideways. He looked flustered but not altogether uncomfortable. He was wringing his hands in his lap and the action was one Tsuna had never seen him do before.

"I-if you, possibly, wanted to...to try the tradition and learn, I would gladly lay with you, J-Tenth."

The ensuing silence was resounding. The earnest tilt of Gokudera's brows was offset by the bright shade of red he'd turned at his proposition and Tsuna's mental faculties had declared a code red and abandoned ship.

"I... B-but but but--_Yamamoto!_"

Gokudera's expression fell and his entire body slumped in defeat. His eyes fluttered shut and his lips formed a moue, which Tsuna found inordinately fascinating. "If you want that baseball idiot instead, I'm sure he'd be willing."

"_What?_" Tsuna was sure he'd knocked something out of place with how frantically he was shaking his head. "No no no, I meant... I thought _you_ were with Yamamoto!" Although now that Gokudera had suggested it, his repressed libido seemed convinced Yamamoto was just as acceptable a solution as Gokudera.

Blinking rapidly, Gokudera seemed to perk up at Tsuna's clarification. "Oh! No, I only sleep with that simpleton when I'm bored. We're not exclusive." He gave a negligent wave of his hand.

Tsuna cupped his head and groaned. Gokudera immediately latched onto his shoulders again.

"I'm sorry, Tenth, have I offended you again!?"

"No, no, you didn't offend me at all," Tsuna said. He scooted away, shrugging off the man's hands for reasons that had very little to do with his irritation. "Look, I just need some time to think about all of this, okay? It's been a long day."

Gokudera straightened and nodded with all seriousness. "I understand. I'll leave you to your rest." He stood, as if lingering any longer might be a grave offense. "But... my offer still stands." He turned and marched from the room before Tsuna could argue. The door shut softly behind him.

Tsuna sagged against the sofa cushions, his mind buzzing. If this was all some intricate plot Reborn set up to try and unhinge him to test his mental fortitude...well, then he'd fail because he'd have to throttle his tutor. He reached for a cushion and brought it down over his face to block out the fading evening light—or to smother himself, whichever worked first.

If he were to be honest with himself, Gokudera's offer had grated a bit. Gokudera had proven time and again that he would do anything for Tsuna, as his self-proclaimed right hand man. He didn't want this (hopefully) passing curiosity to be taken as nothing more than another task for Gokudera to fulfill. Tsuna would never demean their friendship by asking it of him and it was worrying that Gokudera might believe otherwise.

oOo

Tsuna emerged from his bathroom the following morning, having just finished brushing his teeth, to find Reborn sitting in the armchair adjacent the sofa. He paused and eyed his unexpected guest warily.

"Good morning, Tsuna." Reborn smiled and sipped his coffee.

"Morning," Tsuna said. He was only dressed in his boxers but Tsuna had stopped being body shy around Reborn years ago after so many Dying Will escapades in his underwear. He leaned against the bathroom doorframe and crossed his arms. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Hibari will be arriving from Namimori in a week. You'll be required to meet him at the airport next Friday."

Tsuna nodded. Hibari's visits always heralded a distinct shift in atmosphere at the base—people stood taller, walked more quietly, and completely avoided the east wing where Hibari's suite was located.

"I'm looking forward to training with him again," Tsuna said as he pulled on his clothes. "But you usually send me this information through a letter."

He fastened his pants before approaching the sofa and bending to retrieve the photo Gokudera had dropped the night before. "And here—you can take this back."

"Speaking of which," Reborn said. He reached into his inside coat pocket and withdrew something before casually dropping several photographs onto Tsuna's coffee table. Tsuna reached for them.

"What is...?" Tsuna went rigid, eyes bulging. "What... _what is wrong with you?! Why do you have these?_" His face flamed and he forcibly looked away from the images of Gokudera and Yamamoto embracing.

"Were you aware of this?" Reborn asked, voice level and completely indifferent to Tsuna's appall.

"I—I don't see how that's any of my business!" Tsuna managed, turning his back on the pictures. He pointed an accusing finger at Reborn. "What are you doing with pictures of... with pictures!?"

"You are the Sky—it's your duty to know what your guardians are doing, especially concerning interpersonal relationships. Yamamoto and Gokudera have been involved in a sexual relationship for almost six months now and you haven't been aware. This reflects very poorly on you."

Tsuna snorted because he seriously doubted he could speak without sounding like he'd just hit puberty.

The steam from Reborn's coffee cup wafted in hazy disks around his face as he sipped. Tsuna glared at his calm recline and moved to stand by the window. The caretaker was moving through the garden, sunlight glittering off his tin watering can.

"Yamamoto and Gokudera like to rendezvous in the garden. They're there nearly every other day. How have you not noticed?"

Tsuna strongly resented Reborn's derisive tone. "I'm not in here all hours of the day," he said tightly. Hadn't Gokudera said he only slept with Yamamoto when he was bored? If Reborn was to be believed, Gokudera was apparently bored quite often. The thought made him shift uneasily on his feet. Despite what Reborn seemed to believe, Tsuna was resolute in the principle that the private affairs of the other guardians were none of his business.

No matter _how_ compelling the mental imagery.

"Your inattention to those around you is troubling."

Tsuna whirled on his tutor and glowered, although Reborn's lack of reaction meant his display of temper was less than impressive. Then again, intimidating Reborn was virtually impossible without raining flames, ominous horsemen and other signs of the apocalypse.

"I pay attention!" he said, insulted that Reborn would accuse him of not being attentive of his friends. "Lambo and I-Pin just called me from Italy a few days ago with an update and they'll be back by the end of the month. Gokudera has been practicing a new attack and Yamamoto just received another video from Squalo. He's been holed up in his dojo for days now."

Reborn nodded in approval. "Very well. However, it escaped your notice that Gokudera often interrupts Yamamoto's training in the evenings for—"

"_Fine_, geez, I get it already! They're screwing. _I get it_. What do you want me to do about it?" Tsuna stopped gesticulating wildly long enough to give Reborn an expectant look.

Reborn shrugged and hopped to his feet. "Nothing. Just wanted to remind you of Hibari's arrival. You'd probably forget and you know he doesn't like to be kept waiting. See you later."

He was certain he heard something come loose and swing from broken hinges in his head but sincerely hoped it was just his overactive imagination. Closing his eyes in frustration, he waited until Reborn had left before giving into the urge to tug at his hair. Reborn was on a mission to completely scramble his sanity (so that by the time Hibari arrived, Tsuna was likely to be sexually frustrated enough to molest even his most dangerous guardian and _god_, wouldn't _that_ just be a fine end to his run as Vongola boss—quite fitting for No Good Tsuna).

The photos were still lying face up on the table, beside Reborn's unfinished coffee cup. For a second, Tsuna panicked. He couldn't very well leave them there—aside from the maid who cleaned his room every afternoon, Gokudera and Yamamoto liked to pretend a closed door meant an open invitation and could barge in at any hour of the day. He could lock the door...but really, it was easier to just remove the photos and be done with it.

Reminding him that they were _just pictures_, he reached forward and plucked them quickly from the table. He made to shove them into a side drawer but the glimpse of pale hair twined through slender fingers caught his eye and he froze, heart suddenly pounding in his ears. Swallowing back his unease, he slid his obscuring fingers lightly over the matte surface to reveal the full image.

Yamamoto's eyes were at half-mast, his brow crinkled with an indefinable emotion. He was leaning forward, his lowered gaze caught by Gokudera's mouth. His hand was lost in the fall of silver hair but his fingers were relaxed, not clenched, and Tsuna found himself smiling at the gentle curve of his palm. Gokudera's eyes were closed and he was likewise leaning forward, his hands fisted in the front of Yamamoto's button down shirt. Head tilted, Tsuna attempted to observe the captured moment with an objective eye. Gokudera was hard to read but there was an underlining tenderness in Yamamoto's hooded eyes. It was almost...sweet. Which made Tsuna want to laugh because Yamamoto and Gokudera, in regards to each other, were anything but.

He flipped to the next photo and felt his throat seize. The shadow of an overhanging branch cut through the image of the two men, pressed flush together, no sign of gentleness in the hard angle of Yamamoto's jaw and Gokudera's white-knuckled grip, his fingers digging into Yamamoto's shoulders. Squinting his eyes and bringing his face closer, Tsuna marveled at their expressions—they looked so intense... faces and limbs straining towards something Tsuna could only pretend to understand.

A moment passed, during which he realized with dawning horror that he was harder than he could ever remember being before and that it was over a photo of two of his closest friends making out. Feeling ridiculously paranoid, he stuffed the incriminating photos into the drawer and sagged against it, pressing his warm cheek against the cool wall.

That they'd been enjoying themselves was evident and the visual proof seemed to settle the question Tsuna had been harboring for days about whether or not men really _could_ enjoy that kind of relationship... but even so, his cheeks burned with guilt that he would have such an indecent reaction to his _friends_. Gokudera might have offered to sleep with him but Tsuna had already cast it aside. He didn't want the matter of Gokudera's motives marring their friendship.

He took several deep breaths but his erection remained stubbornly in tact. Groaning loudly, he turned for the bathroom and resolved _not_ to think about either of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title** – How to Build an Empire  
**Rating** – this chapter R (overall NC-17)  
**Pairing** – guardiansxTsuna... just about lol (this chapter, GokuTsuna)  
**Warnings** – slash, probable OOCness, Tsuna uke? XD  
**Comments** – Uh ._. I wrote chapter one a year ago... haha? ^^; I actually had the majority of this written for a while, I just got stumped at the porn. Figures D: There is no guarantee that chapter 3 won't also take a year to write ^^; Written completely for amusement and totally not meant to be taken seriously lol.

**Chapter 2**

For the first time since taking up his post, Tsuna was grateful for Sunday logs. Reborn had assigned him the duty of reviewing weekly their finance logs to familiarize himself with their expenditures, investments, stocks and numerous bank accounts (extensive even though Tsuna focused exclusively on their assets in Japan). Tsuna had yet to find an error in his accountant's work—which was expected, considering he doubted Reborn would accept anything less than perfection from an employee who wasn't directly a member of the family.

Focusing on numbers was a welcome reprieve from the madness that had gripped him lately. He'd woken early and finished breakfast before either Gokudera or Yamamoto could join him. Simply looking at either of them was something he wasn't confident he could do just yet without spontaneously combusting in mortification.

It wasn't that Tsuna was uncomfortable with his sexuality... okay, that was a lie. Tsuna was extremely uncomfortable with what his recent fantasies meant in terms of his sexuality. By virtue of being No Good Tsuna, he was in no position to discriminate against _anyone_, so it wasn't that he had anything against being gay—the possibility had just never occurred to him.

After middle school, Kyoko had attended a different high school and Tsuna had grudgingly put his childhood crush to rest. He'd never found anyone who made him feel quite the same way Kyoko had, but he was still one hundred percent certain he liked girls.

To test this, he thought about the one girl he'd slept with in high school. After a brief mental recap, he confirmed that yes, he had rather enjoyed it and would have very much liked to repeat the experience... and probably would have, except Reborn had somehow _known_ and subjected him to an in-depth lesson in safe sex, complete with pie charts, slideshows, and 3-D models.

Extracting a promise from him not to die from a venereal disease or leave any illegitimate children to someday challenge the seat of Vongola had been unnecessary because Tsuna had been properly traumatized. Afterwards, he'd been too apprehensive about Reborn's meddling and far too busy training to lead the Mafia to pursue anyone else. Sex had become an unnecessary detail, and Tsuna regretted it now that his hormones had conspired with the universe (and Reborn) to muster together and counterattack by turning him gay. Bisexual. Whatever.

"Augh." He cupped his head and returned to squinting at the columns of figures on his desk. He still had several pages to go through and he'd learned from past experience that Reborn was not above nailing him to his desk until he finished.

Thirty minutes later, he was yawning behind his hand when his mental calculations slid to a halt. He leaned forward, his bottom lip slipping between his teeth as he compared the last two weeks' numbers. There was a minor variance, but nothing he needed to be concerned about. He made a note beside it and moved on.

Two pages later, he noted, again, another variance. "Hm." He made another note beside it. They were likely nothing more than data entry errors but, considering this was a first, Reborn would want to know.

oOo

Sunday, as it turned out, had been a successful day. Tsuna had managed to avoid running into both Yamamoto and Gokudera—true, he'd done so by retiring early, blockading his door, and snoring extra loudly when Gokudera came knocking to bid him a good night, but he'd still avoided direct contact so it was a victory, however minor.

The next day began in much the same way. Childish though it may have been, Tsuna felt entitled to his solitude, considering how scarce it'd been since Reborn had first crashed into his life. If he wanted to drag his desk into the farthest corner of the library, well hidden behind rows of bookshelves, then that was his prerogative. He was the Vongola Tenth, damn it.

He slouched in his chair, legs cramped beneath his desk and knees knocking against the sides, and propped a file open in his lap.

A small yakuza clan had recently moved into the area, hoping to establish their turf by bullying surrounding businesses into compliance. Every business for a ten-mile radius around the base was under the family's protection. As such, business owners had felt confident in rebuffing the yakuza's intimidation tactics.

They'd retreated since, loitering at the edges of the city, bothersome to the overall peace but otherwise harmless. The clan hardly posed a credible threat, but it was obvious that they were lingering for a reason. While Tsuna knew sending over a couple men to confront them would probably resolve the issue, the idea of chasing them off to terrorize some other suburb wasn't an appealing one.

Waiting them out seemed to be the most peaceable solution and Tsuna was sticking to his decision despite Reborn's urging to 'take care' of the matter. To placate his tutor, Tsuna had dug up as much information on the clan as he (and his investigators) could find. Any knowledge was vital knowledge when it came to one's enemies. Of course, Tsuna would have preferred not having any enemies at all but that decision had been taken out of his hands long ago.

A soft click in the silence of the library signaled an arrival and Tsuna resisted the impulse to duck underneath his desk. Instead, he held his breath and strained his ears while pretending he didn't feel like he was back in middle school again, avoiding the schoolyard bullies.

There was a brief shuffle of feet and a series of noises before—

"Haha, sorry about that." Yamamoto's voice carried throughout the library, his light-hearted laughter filling up the spaces between shelves of dusty tomes.

"Stop crowding me," Gokudera snapped.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't think you'd just stop in the doorway like that. Oh hey, his desk is gone."

"I'm not blind, you moron. I can see that."

A moment of panic seized Tsuna before he realized with a hopeless kind of horror that the mere sound of their voices—arguing, no less—had sent 99.9% of his blood supply southward. Taking into account the sudden lack of oxygen in organs necessary for coherent function, he really couldn't be faulted for how his legs jerked beneath his desk, the momentum of feet hitting wood sending both him and his chair toppling backward. The resulting crash was immediately accompanied by footsteps as both Yamamoto and Gokudera rushed over to investigate.

Tsuna groaned and cupped the back of his head before rolling onto his side and attempting to burrow into the carpeting. On the bright side, his erection had been no match for abject humiliation.

"Ooow."

"Tenth?"

"Tsuna!"

Warm hands tugged him upright. Tsuna batted away the assistance, flustered. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

"What are you doing way over here in the corner?"

Rather than answering Yamamoto, Tsuna stumbled to his feet and skirted around them, wary of the large hands that Yamamoto tucked into his pockets. The back of his head ached and there was a strong possibility that he was just delirious, considering his sleep had been erratic the night before. Every time he'd closed his eyes, he had felt the brush of hands on his skin, phantom warmth sliding between his legs... before he awoke with a start, alone and frustrated and unbearably horny.

He shuffled away from their concerned faces and tried his best not to look like he was suppressing lewd thoughts. "I... I just wanted somewhere I could sit undisturbed for a while. I need to finish going through the files on that yakuza clan."

Gokudera lifted an angry fist. "Send me out there, Tenth. I'll make sure there's nothing left of them to sully the city."

"No," Tsuna said quickly. He could already envision the ensuing property damage and it sent him reeling... or that could have been the new bump on the back of his head, it was hard to tell. "Don't do anything. I'll handle it."

Gokudera looked like he wanted to argue but Yamamoto cut him off. "You sure you're okay, Tsuna? We haven't seen you in a couple days. We were getting worried."

Tsuna watched as Yamamoto slung an arm around Gokudera's shoulders, presumably to illustrate how they'd been united in their concern... or something. Tsuna bemoaned the inevitable direction the simple gesture tugged his thoughts down. In the past, it had meant little more than Yamamoto being typically friendly and good-natured. Now, it carried all forms of innuendo that Tsuna was certain were due to his overactive imagination. He seriously doubted an arm over the shoulder translated into 'Please have mansex with me.'

When Gokudera predictably shoved Yamamoto off him, Tsuna wondered if it was just their typical interaction or if Gokudera had noticed the way Tsuna had plastered himself against the bookcase.

"There's no need to worry," Tsuna said, and ignored the high, airy quality of his voice. "I'm fine. I'm just trying to work. You know how Reborn is when he wants me to focus."

He smiled; although it was probably more of a grimace by the way Yamamoto tilted his head at him.

Crossing his arms, Gokudera said, "Hey, Yamamoto. Go see what the chef is making for lunch."

Yamamoto glanced between them and smiled easily despite the shrewd look in his eyes. "Sure thing."

Tsuna watched him retreat with a growing sense of unease. "Um..."

With Yamamoto gone, the Gokudera's scowl gave way to concern. "Tenth, are you sure you're all right?"

Tsuna nodded vigorously.

"...Have you been avoiding me?"

Tsuna's eyes widened and his mind blanked. When questioned directly, lying had never been one of his strong suits. Not that he had very many.

"Uh, n-no, not at all, why would you think that? Hahahaha." He tucked his sweaty palms behind his back and swallowed with difficulty.

Gokudera glanced away, fingers combing through his hair in agitation. "If this has to do with the other night, I'm sorry if I... offended you with, um, with my..." His neck turned red but he barreled on. "...with my offer." He hung his head and the look of complete dejection made Tsuna stiffen with guilt.

He waved his arms wildly before he straightened off the bookcase and reached out to take Gokudera by the shoulders. Then he thought better of the gesture and just waved his hands around some more. The truth, at this point, would probably be easier than trying to throw any more ineffective lies at his friend.

"You're wrong," he said, shoulders hunched. "It's not that... well, it is, but not the way you think it is. It's..." He shook his head, realizing he was making little sense. "I'm not offended. The opposite actually..." He trailed off and pointedly averted his eyes when Gokudera perked up in interest.

"You mean...?"

"I'm... curious. _Too_ curious." His face burned at his mumbled confession. "B-But you're my friend," he hurriedly continued. "And I can't accept your offer. It would be too weird and, and it'd be wrong of me to take advantage of our friendship just because I'm your boss."

Gokudera, who was looking far more relieved and optimistic than Tsuna had expected, stepped forward. Tsuna resisted the urge to scramble up the bookcase.

Beaming (Tsuna wondered if Gokudera's rapid mood shifts ever gave him a headache), Gokudera said, "No, no, it would never be about taking advantage! Not at all! You would never do that, Tenth! It's... it's about strengthening th-the relationship between boss and guardians."

Tsuna made a mental note to ask Reborn if all the members of the Vongola family were given the same lecture about strengthening bonds by way of sexual relations. The idea was alarming.

"But we're friends too," Gokudera said, grinning despite the mottled blush that made him look like he was suffering from a spontaneous case of hives. "Best of friends! And rest assured, it would be completely mutual."

Tsuna couldn't tell by the manic look in his eyes if he was finished, but he'd stopped talking so Tsuna assumed he was waiting for a response. What confused Tsuna then wasn't so much formulating an answer ('yes please!' his libido very unnecessarily offered) as it was wondering why Gokudera was so insistent. Tsuna had assumed that Gokudera had initially made the offer out of his sense of duty that, for some misbegotten reason, he thought should extend into the bedroom. But Tsuna had given him an out and instead of taking it, he'd countered with more excuses.

Tsuna harbored no illusions about himself. He'd grown considerably over the last few years but he was still a bit on the skinny side for a twenty year old man. He didn't have the solid, lithe build of a swordsman like Yamamoto. But hadn't Gokudera just said it'd be mutual? He made it sound almost as if he _wanted_ to... to sleep with Tsuna...

The realization had him blinking rapidly at Gokudera's anxious face as heat, once again, pooled in his groin. Tsuna was surprised he hadn't fainted yet what with the constant redirection of his blood supply. As it was, he felt lightheaded and slumped back against the bookcase.

"Tenth," Gokudera said, stepping close and pressing a cool hand to his forehead. "Tenth, are you okay?"

Tsuna nodded in a daze, finding relief in the small bit of contact and wondering if he had any right to change his mind just because he now knew Gokudera wasn't just being a compliant right hand man.

Since they were being candid, he opened his mouth to ask what he'd wanted to know for days now. "How did you and Yamamoto get together?"

Gokudera reared back a bit, startled by the question. The hesitation was enough for Tsuna to gather his bearings and quickly retract the question.

"F-Forget it, I'm sorry. You can tell me another time if you want."

Gokudera paused, indecision twisting his lips, before he nodded and stepped back. "If you decide you did want to... Um. Then please let me know."

There was a strange look in his eyes – it was earnest but also underlined with a sense of urgency, as if Gokudera was afraid he wouldn't press his point enough and Tsuna would go to someone else instead. But Gokudera had nothing to worry about, if indeed it was a concern (however peculiar). The mere idea of approaching any of his other guardians with the proposition was daunting enough that Tsuna would rather face an army of moscas.

"Thank you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and feeling both infinitely sheepish and grateful, despite that the clearing of misunderstandings had resulted in an even more insistent erection than before.

Such was Tsuna's luck.

"I'll... I'll think about it," he said. And in fact, he doubted he'd be able to think of anything else. He glanced at the file still open on his desk and, regrettably, knew it would do little to distract him.

oOo

Tsuna's resolve lasted approximately four days. After the awkward conversation with Gokudera, he'd given into his body's demands and began jerking off in the mornings before starting his day. But while having tea in his room Thursday afternoon, he'd glanced down into the garden to see Yamamoto and Gokudera enter and linger about the oleanders as they spoke. Then Yamamoto had leaned in and Gokudera had turned his face away before grabbing him by the collar and leading him from the garden with long, purposeful strides.

Tsuna had attempted to temper the sudden strain in his pants for a few valiant minutes before he'd lost and made a beeline for the bathroom.

A part of him wondered if he shouldn't be more troubled by the fact his fantasies were now primarily filled with flat chests and broad shoulders.

Friday morning found him slumped in his desk during his second history lesson as Reborn rambled on about the greatest accomplishments of the Vongola First. Unfortunately, his lack of attention resulted in getting stapled to his desk by his shirt sleeves with Reborn perched on his head (he was heavier than he looked) and reprimanding him for failing as a student. Tsuna couldn't find it in himself to care so long as Reborn didn't start dropping objectionable photographs in his lap again.

But then Reborn had launched the stapler itself at Tsuna and he'd tried to duck but that hadn't worked very well on account of him being attached to the desk. In terms of tactics, Tsuna would always have to hand it to Reborn. He had certainly reminded Tsuna of the importance of always being on guard (and having quick reflexes).

As a result of his morning lesson, Tsuna spent the rest of the day twitching at every movement in his periphery and worrying about Reborn's next angle of attack instead of lingering over the unresolved issue of his sexual frustration. At least until dinner.

Tsuna couldn't, in good conscience (and because he wasn't clever enough to come up with a convincing enough lie), continue avoiding his friends and returned to joining them for meals. Gokudera patted the spot beside him when Tsuna appeared in the dining room. Reluctant to offend him, Tsuna took it with a smile and a greeting. Gokudera had taken to reserving the seat beside him for Tsuna all week (never mind that the massive dinner table had eight other empty chairs). Tsuna wouldn't have minded so much except his body had somehow decided any kind of physical proximity with Gokudera was its cue to demand attention by way of blue balls.

Tsuna seriously needed a vacation. Or a new tutor.

"How was your history lesson this morning?"

Was it his imagination or had that been a deliberate attempt to remind him of their previous conversation on the topic? Tsuna disregarded the thought. He _had_ been paranoid all day.

"Um... it was fine." He rubbed his shoulder where a stapler shaped bruise had formed. "Reborn lectured about Giotto and his accomplishments."

"Maybe I should sit in with you, Tsuna. I don't know much about the previous bosses either." Yamamoto began filling his mouth with rice and fish, and Tsuna, to his dismay, could think of nothing more interesting right then than the way Yamamoto's jaw moved when he chewed.

"Er," he said intelligently.

Gokudera snorted. "You'd never retain the information."

Tsuna busied himself with eating as quickly and efficiently as possible and ignored the less than furtive looks Gokudera kept sending him. When he'd cleaned his plate, he pushed away from the table with a strained smile and made his escape.

Or, he would have if Gokudera hadn't stopped him with a hand on his arm. Tsuna froze in place, praying to whatever deity might answer that Gokudera wouldn't notice how tight the front of his pants was.

"Tenth, are you okay?"

Tsuna was getting a little tired of hearing that question. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Um. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning to pick up Hibari. Good night."

He hurried from the room and didn't pause until he was safe inside his bedroom. He turned the lock and collapsed against the door, sinking down to the floor, legs sprawled in front of him.

He sighed, his hand already reaching for the button of his pants when a thought struck him: this simply couldn't continue. That the thought had sounded suspiciously like Reborn helped motivate Tsuna to stand and brush himself off. He had too many responsibilities to focus on, too many people depending on his leadership, without being troubled daily by something as frivolous as sex. Or in this case, the lack there of.

Unfortunately, there was only one solution to that problem (that his lust-clouded mind could logically conceive). He'd tried going back to the way it'd been before, to when he'd convinced himself that sex was something that would happen in due course, with the right girl, presumably far, far, _far_ away from his meddling tutor. But the last week and his rising blood pressure was evidence enough that it was either a lost cause or a long time in coming.

Gokudera had said it would be mutual.

Before his mind could formulate an objection, he turned on his heels and pushed the button on the small panel beside his door. A moment later, a female voice chirped through the intercom.

"What can I do for you, sir?" The voice belonged to Tsuna's head maid, who directed the small army of servants that kept the estate in top form, or as Reborn put it, up to Vongola standards.

"Um..." Tsuna coughed lightly. "Could you please send Gokudera to me? He should still be in the dining room."

"Right away, sir," she said before the intercom went silent.

Tsuna swallowed and had to put several feet of distance between himself and his door to keep from scrabbling at the intercom and rescinding his request. He backpedaled to the sitting area and paced circles around the sofa. His anxiety was enough to quell his hormones because by the time a knock sounded at his door, he was ready to call it quits and pretend he'd called Gokudera just to wish him good night. Again. Gokudera might believe it.

And then Gokudera walked in with one hand in his hair and a curious smile on his lips, and turning Gokudera away seemed a distant option. When he spotted Tsuna, he shut the door quietly behind him and stepped into the room.

"You called for me?"

"Um... yes, I... sit down. Please."

Gokudera gave him a confused look but sat down all the same. "Tenth, are you sure you're—"

"Yes, I'm fine," he said, cutting off the question he was seriously considering banning from the base. His curt tone made Gokudera's brows draw together. He looked not unlike a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... to shout."

Gokudera shook his head but wisely said nothing.

"Look, this has... been a really... frustrating week. _Really frustrating._ And I don't know if I'm going to regret this or not b-but w-w—" Tsuna slapped a hand over his face and tried again. "W-w-will you...?"

Gokudera's faintly puzzled expression was helping little. Tsuna threw up his hands and looked about wildly for something to write with.

He spotted his pad and pen on his desk in the corner and stalked over to retrieve it. Then he returned to the coffee table and got to his knees before putting ink to paper. His hands shook as he wrote a few unsteady words, crossed them out, began again, and then grew frustrated and crumpled up the top sheet before dropping his head to the table with a defeated sigh.

"I'm going to kill Reborn," he mumbled into the table top.

"Uh." Gokudera reached out, fingers brushing Tsuna's fist curled around the crumpled sheet of paper. "May I...?"

Tsuna nodded miserably without looking up and released the paper. He closed his eyes and listened with tightly strung nerves as Gokudera smoothed out the crinkles and read Tsuna's brief, partially scratched out message to 'please teach me.'

The silence was piercing and he found he really didn't have the courage to look up and meet Gokudera's eyes. A moment later, he heard Gokudera set the paper down before gentle hands nudged at his shoulders. Mustering his fortitude (it was, after all, his doing that they were here), he lifted his head and sat up.

He hoped he wouldn't have to clarify his request. He'd just as soon pen Xanxus a letter to congratulate him on becoming the new Vongola boss on account of Tsuna expiring from sheer mortification.

Fortunately, that seemed not to be the case as Gokudera uttered a breathy '_Tenth_' before the room tilted and he found himself on his back with Gokudera leaning in over him. He made a strangled noise of alarm, which made Gokudera pause, lips just short of touching.

"It's okay, Tenth. Trust me," he whispered. Tsuna did trust him; that much he was sure of.

His breath against Tsuna's skin sent odd little jolts—not unpleasant—down his neck and arms. Tsuna nodded and closed his eyes.

Gokudera kissed him. His lips were soft, surprisingly so, and he moved against him with almost painful care. Hands trailed down Tsuna's jaw, his touches firm but gentle. He sipped at Tsuna's lips as if partaking of something sacred, something to be cherished. Tsuna wondered if this was how Gokudera was with Yamamoto... He somehow doubted it.

His fingers curled against the skin just beneath Tsuna's ear, his mouth drawing ragged breaths from Tsuna's chest where oxygen seemed suddenly in short supply. Without being asked to, Tsuna reached for his shirt and began unbuttoning it. Gokudera drew back, lips parted and looking breathless. Tsuna averted his eyes but continued until his shirt fell open and he shrugged it off.

Gokudera lowered his head and dropped a line of kisses down his chest, taking a brief detour to flick his tongue against a dusky nipple. Tsuna's fingers convulsed against the carpet.

"Gokudera," he said, arching.

Gokudera looked up, mouth open against the skin just beneath Tsuna's bellybutton. "Have you done this before?"

Tsuna began shaking his head before he stopped and gathered enough coherence to say, "With a girl. Once. Back in high school."

Gokudera nodded before undoing the clasp of Tsuna's pants with his teeth. Tsuna threw an arm over his face and made a pitiful sound. There was a tug at the waist of his pants and he lifted his hips enough for Gokudera to slide them off, taking his boxers along as well. The cool air was startling against his skin and Tsuna shivered.

Gokudera grunted—a soft, slightly pained exhalation of breath—before a warm mouth brushed along the side of his erection. Tsuna pushed to his elbows, eyes wide as he watched Gokudera take him in hand and part his lips, pink tongue darting out to dampen the head. He swallowed thickly, the tension in his gut painfully tight.

"Gokudera, I... I don't think..." He felt overheated already as he pushed his hair out of his face and admitted, "I don't think I'm going to, er, last very... long."

Gokudera sucked lightly at the tip, tongue sliding along the slit and making Tsuna's breath catch, before pulling back. "We don't have to do anything more than this," he said. Tsuna caught the disappointment in his voice and was surprised that it seemed to mirror his own. Maybe the sudden end to his years of celibacy was giving him courage.

Or maybe he was just desperate. Tsuna decided not to think on it.

He shook his head. "I want to."

Gokudera rose up to kiss him, tongue pushing past his lips as his hands trailed down Tsuna's chest, thumbs pausing to press against his nipples. "Do you want to take me?"

It only took a moment for Gokudera's question to register. Then Tsuna's elbows gave out and he collapsed on his back, winded and blinking up at Gokudera's surprised expression. Reborn hadn't exactly covered this part in his lessons and he'd been too embarrassed to look it up himself. "Uh." His brain had abandoned ship again, apparently deciding it was useless seeing as Tsuna had thus far successfully been thinking with his penis.

"If you're not comfortable," Gokudera began.

Tsuna shook his head. "No, no, I... I think I'd rather you... do it. You're more experienced and I'd probably just mess up..." He turned away and focused his gaze on the corner of the coffee table, just a foot over from where Gokudera had pressed him into the floor.

"Bed?" Gokudera asked.

After a moment, in which Tsuna mulled over the minor delay having to move would cause, Tsuna nodded. "Bed," he agreed. They both moved onto the large mattress and thick blue comforter, Tsuna centering himself as Gokudera crawled over him.

Gokudera swallowed audibly before leaning over again and licking the corner of Tsuna's lips.

Tsuna's breath caught, anxious to continue, and he reached up to card his fingers through Gokudera's hair, something he'd wanted to do for days now. Teeth nipped lightly at his jaw before Gokudera scooted back between Tsuna's legs. Tsuna bit his lip and resisted the urge to cover himself, namely because Gokudera was staring at his erection with ill-disguised excitement. He smoothed his palms down Tsuna's stomach and rested his cheek against the line of his hip before dragging his tongue across the base of Tsuna's cock.

Tsuna arched again helplessly, his fingers tightening around Gokudera's hair. Gentle hands nudged at his thighs and he bent his legs, sliding his feet out to give Gokudera more room.

Gokudera stared down at his spread legs for so long that Tsuna felt his blush spread all the way down to his toes. "I... didn't come prepared," Gokudera said. "I didn't want to presume."

Coughing lightly, Tsuna pointed to the end table next to the bed. "Uh... in the drawer." Tsuna _had_ been very frustrated. He didn't mention the bottle of lubricant had appeared at his bedside one morning the week before and he'd spent the entire day trying to hunt down Reborn. When he'd finally located his elusive tutor, Reborn had simply knocked him on his back mid-tirade with an ominous 'You'll thank me later.'

Gokudera beamed and shuffled over to retrieve it.

Tsuna blinked up at the ceiling, at the gathering of cloth where the bed's canopy hung from gold chords. He covered his eyes and wondered what the hell he was doing.

And then Gokudera returned, completely naked (his clothes lay in a pile on the floor beside the end table), and wrapped slick fingers around him.

"Gokudera," Tsuna breathed, doubts fleeing as he thrust up into his hand. He tugged at his own hair, feeling too hot and too exposed and gasping loudly when Gokudera slipped a hand beneath his balls and pressed lightly at his entrance.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you," Gokudera said before lowering his head and lapping at the fluid leaking messily from the tip.

Tsuna nodded without really comprehending, eyes squeezed shut as slippery fingers filled him. He supposed he'd known what to expect, it was just so strange to actually do it. Thinking about the mechanics of it just hadn't been at the forefront of his fantasies.

Then Gokudera was hovering over him, lips pressed to his forehead and something thick nudging him below. Tsuna panted against Gokudera's collarbones, biting down into the thin bone.

"Relax," Gokudera whispered against his temple. "I promise it'll be good."

Tsuna wrapped his legs around Gokudera's waist, thighs grasping at sharp hips. Gokudera groaned and slid deeper, fingers brushing with reverent care along Tsuna's sides. He twisted, mouth open to drag in air, Gokudera's hair fanning his cheekbones and fire burning between his legs. It was everything and nothing like he'd expected and he wiggled a hand between them to grasp himself.

"You're so tight," Gokudera mumbled between gasps, still moving excruciatingly slow, making Tsuna arch and writhe impatiently.

"Faster," Tsuna urged, squeezing down and tightening his legs. He needed more; more pressure, more friction. Gokudera was being too gentle. "Gokudera, _faster_." He scored nails down Gokudera's back and cried out when Gokudera groaned into his neck and complied.

"Tenth." His hands tightened around Tsuna's hips. Tsuna opened his mouth against the damp curve of Gokudera's shoulder and shuddered.

oOo

Gokudera and Yamamoto met him at the door. They were both dressed in dark suits and Tsuna took a moment to admire how sharp they looked, even if he still didn't believe all this ceremony was necessary just to pick up his Cloud guardian.

"Good morning," he said. They both smiled and returned the greeting. His gaze lingered for a few seconds too long on Gokudera's mouth before he blushed and looked away. He tugged at his cuffs and nodded to the driver who held the door to the black sedan open for him. Gokudera and Yamamoto slid in beside him, one on either side. He was used to the routine by now.

Gokudera sat perhaps a bit closer than was necessary, his thigh flush against Tsuna's. Tsuna felt his neck grow warm before he glanced up and offered Gokudera a tremulous smile. Contrary to Tsuna's expectations, the night before had not assuaged his frustration. It had only heightened it. His backside was slightly sore but it was only a reminder of Gokudera inside him, skin sliding damply against skin and a wet tongue drawing patterns down his chest. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"How was your morning?" Tsuna asked, turning to Yamamoto. It would be a half hour to the airport where Hibari was arriving. The Vongola estate was located five hours north of Namimori and Hibari couldn't abide the train system (too much crowding) so first class air travel had been the most logical and swiftest means of travel.

"Great," Yamamoto said, chuckling softly. He glanced at Gokudera, gaze flicking down to where Gokudera's leg was pressed against Tsuna's, before looking away and watching the passing city with unfocused eyes.

Tsuna blinked. "Um. Are you... okay?" He winced at having repeated the same question he'd grown sick of hearing.

Yamamoto looked back at him and affected a surprised look. Then he laughed. "Oh yeah, I'm great! I like it when Hibari visits; he's fun to spar with."

Gokudera snorted at Tsuna's other side and Yamamoto, to Tsuna's confusion, closed his mouth with a crooked smile and looked away again. Tsuna didn't need hyper intuition to realize something was off.

The rest of the ride passed in a slightly awkward silence with Gokudera and Yamamoto exchanging precisely two words ('Shut up') and avoiding direct eye contact. Gokudera was twice as brusque as usual. Tsuna hadn't felt this much tension between them since they'd first met back in middle school. He began to worry that the impending sense of doom had little to do with Hibari's arrival.

oOo

Hibari was, predictably, right on time. He followed them back to the base in a separate car with Kusakabe. The return trip was, if possible, even more uncomfortable. Yamamoto had brushed against Gokudera's side when they'd arrived at the airport and then, with a mumbled apology, stepped away and put a good two feet of distance between them. Gokudera had given him a look of deep disgust and Tsuna had straightened his shoulders, prepared to initiate mediation. But then Hibari had arrived and it really wasn't a good idea to not give Hibari one's complete attention unless one didn't mind becoming intimate with the infirmary.

When they pulled back into the broad drive of the estate, both Yamamoto and Gokudera opened their respective doors and made to exit. Tsuna placed a hand on Gokudera's wrist to still him and waited until Yamamoto had cleared the car.

"Gokudera," he said, beseeching. "What's... what's going on with you and Yamamoto?" Tsuna had never really made it his business to interfere with whatever conflicts his guardians had with each other unless it could result in physical violence. But on this issue, he felt certain he should speak up.

Gokudera shut the door, which he'd left ajar. He dragged a hand through his hair. "It's so stupid," he said, shaking his head. "I told Yamamoto this morning where I was last night."

Tsuna blinked. "Oh." And then, "_Oh._" He felt suddenly ill. "Wh-what happened?"

"Now that we've... been together, he thinks he has to back off so you can have me to yourself."

Tsuna reared back, sputtering. "But but but... _you said you weren't exclusive!_"

"We aren't!" Gokudera said. He took Tsuna by the shoulders and gave him a little shake before he seemed to realize what he was doing and drew back in apology. "It's just... he thinks this is different. Because you're boss."

There was a knock at the window and both of them looked up to see Kusakabe giving them an apologetic look and making broad gestures at Hibari, who stood near the entrance looking increasingly cross. His aura of killing intent was admittedly intimidating.

"Fuck off," Gokudera spat before turning back to Tsuna. "Look, Tenth, please don't worry about it. The baseball idiot is just being stupid. He'll get over it." He gave Tsuna an encouraging smile before opening the door and waving dismissively at Kusakabe.

Tsuna watched him walk away, Yamamoto nowhere in sight, and buried his face in his hands.

..

..

TBC


End file.
